Yamato
Yamato is a country currently located to the south of Libaterra and to the north of Aison. It was expansionistic and aggressive because a strange poison was slowly contaminating the land, which forced the Yamatians to seek the fertile soils of other lands. This eventually led to the Yamatian Invasion and the following Great War. Yamato used to be an empire but demons took over the land during the Cataclysm and turned it into the Grand Duchy of Yamato. The capital of Yamato is Kageshima, the City of Shadows. History Origins of Yamato :See: Ryuugumi The world suffered terribly after the Explosion which began the Third Age. The Ryuugumi people, who had lived in Grandbell, found their homes lost in the ensuing catastrophe. Some remained behind in what was to become Remon to rebuild their once thriving civilization whereas the majority of the clans decided to sail to the horizon to find a new, more fertile land to settle in. The ones who sailed away reached a lush archipelago which they quicky took over and named Yamato in honour of their ancestors. These people became known as Yamatians. Many warrior clans eventually grouped under the banner of the Ofuchi Clan and forced neighbouring Yamatian clans to submit. Most of Yamato came under the rule of an emperor from the Ofuchi line. Some families such as the Hyuga Clan were less than happy to see an Ofuchi on the throne but they decided to bide their time and serve the emperors for the time being, and their loyalty eventually gave them the position as shoguns, the emperor's right-hand men. Many Yamatian clans openly defied the emperor's troops, however, and kept their respective islands secure and autonomous for the most part while the Ofuchi supporters spread over Tekaido, the central island. A large group consisting of the Clergy of Mardük and Chaos Dwarves arrived at Yamato around this time and took over one of the mineral-rich islands. Vulpengaard Keep was built, and the high clerics of the Distreyd Thanadar line became the most prominent force in Yamato apart from the shogun and the emperor's clans. Yamato Empire Things remained calm for the next few hundred years except for a few small skirmishes as the Yamatian lords' power bases grew. During the reign of Emperor Takeshi Ofuchi in 1000 AE things began to change, however. The latest shogun, Masamori Hyuga, was ambitious and began to openly move against the emperor. He gathered many dissidents and rebellious clans together and attacked Kageshima, the Yamatian capital. This First Battle of Kageshima ended in Emperor Ofuchi's death and the surrender of the loyalist forces. Masamori became the de facto leader of Yamato but kept the title of Shogun. He met with Distreyd Thanadar XII, the newest high cleric of Mardük, soon after and the two joined forces albeit with plans to use one another to further their separate goals. They began the Unification of Yamato and either bribed, negotiated or forced other Yamatian clans to submit under one banner. The glory years of the Yamato Empire had begun with Shogun Masamori Hyuga and Distreyd XII as its leaders. The Shogun soon realized that having Yamato under his control was not enough. A mysterious Landpoison had been affecting the Yamatian soil and made it infertile. The Shogun had two choices: either remain in Yamato and let the Landpoison slowly starve his people to death or expand his territories to claim more fertile land for his people. He chose the latter option, and he and Distreyd sent their forces to conquer the neighbouring kingdoms in what became known as the Yamatian Invasion. Unbeknownst to the Shogun the Landpoison had partially been caused by Distreyd XII's ancestor, Distreyd Thanadar I, and that Distreyd XII was manipulating the Shogun with the Landpoison to further his own dark goals. The Yamatian Invasion took the other kingdoms by surprise, and the blitzkrieg tactics of Yamato and the Clergy of Mardük were a success. One kingdom after another fell under the Yamatian yoke, and Yamatians and dark clerics placed bakufus to govern their new provinces. Soon only Aison remained unconquered. It was then that the Shogun mysteriously fell ill and Distreyd XII became the de facto leader of the Yamato Empire. Some whispered that Distreyd XII had deliberately poisoned the Shogun to take over but no one could ever prove it one way or another. This change of power did not hinder Yamatian expansionism, however, as the Yamatian forces launced an attack on Aison and took over most of it. Although Yamato and the Clergy of Mardük were content, they had underestimated the will of heroes. Soon a resistance force was formed in Remon and it grew daily. This force became known as the Grand Alliance and it began a successful campaign to liberate the kingdoms. This war between the Alliance and Yamato became known as the Great War. Eventually the Grand Alliance's forces had liberated the other kingdoms and launched a counterattack on the Yamatian heartlands. Distreyd XII's sudden death, the Shogun's illness, and the general arrogance of other Yamatian commanders allowed the Alliance to reach the gates of Kageshima in 1006 AE after three rough war years. The Second Battle of Kageshima began with the Alliance soon gaining an upper hand. Before the Alliance could properly conquer the weakened Yamatian forces left in Kageshima, the dark god Mardük arrived to lend the Yamatiand and dark clerics a hand. He opened up a portal to the Demon Realm, and countless demons poured out to fight in his name. However, the sudden arrival of the Godslayer, a terrible beast, turned the tide as it devoured Mardük and the god Cardia. With Mardük gone, no one could close the portal anymore and the demons went on a mindless rampage, killing everyone in sight. The two gods' deaths caused the Cataclysm, making continents move. The Alliance quickly fled from Yamato, leaving Yamatians to deal with the rampaging demons. Grand Duchy of Yamato Despite valiant resistance, Yamato was eventually overrun by demons. Kageshima remained as the capital but was now under demonic occupation. The land was divided between four major demon hordes which enslaved the Yamatian populace. Yamato became a grand duchy, ruled by the demonic Grand Duchess and the four dukes and duchesses of the four demonic hordes. The demons remained in power for 11 years but the Second Battle of Vulpengaard Keep changed the status quo a bit when a group of heroes manage to rob the demons from their regenerative powers with the help of magic. Demons still largely outnumber Yamatians but various freedom fighters such as the Akai Tora, Black Hunters and Blue Dragon pirates continue to harrass the demons while hoping to liberate Yamato and its people from demonic oppression someday. The Northern Horde has recently begun a campaign to conquer Libaterra. After the Battle of Vanna, the horde now controls Vanna and the entire desert region of Southern Libaterra which was formerly owned by the Sultanate of Karaganda. The horde is currently gathering its forces to move north and invade the territories of the Magicracy of Alent next. Terrain and Climate Yamato shares borders with Libaterra in the north and Aison in the south. Its climate changes from warm to cold thanks to the winds from the seas. The landscape is rather harsh because of the demon influence, but there are nevertheless some untouched forests, mountains and rivers which have kept some of Yamato's nature intact as the land is slowly healing itself. The archipelago is rich with minerals and has various beautiful yet treacherous reefs for sailors to navigate. Cultures 11 years after the Cataclysm, Yamato's main population consists of humans and demons. However, other races can also be found, most notably elves and dwarves who are spread throughout the land but also the Kitsune who dwell solely in Kitsune Mori. Human cultures are mainly divided between Yamatian clans and Shang clans but the latter is a minority compared to the more populous Yamatians. Demons also have several clans in the land, in part aping yet differentiating themselves from human clans. Geopolitics After the Cataclysm, Yamato has been ruled by four demon rival hordes, each ruled by a Duke or a Duchess. Central power lies in Kageshima and on the throne of the Grand Duchess who nevertheless has little to no authority over the other demons as a sort of mediator figure. Despite the demons' power over Yamato, several resistance forces have formed throughout the land although they wage a desperate guerrilla war against the superior demon forces. Yamato's centre of power still lies in Kageshima, located in the heart of the land, although it has lost much of its influence as the four demon hordes' power has grown rapidly over the years. Demon Hordes Northern Horde :Leader: Duke Malphas d'Xuvadon, the Devourer :Dreadlord: Count Ronove Thanadar The Northern Horde consists of bloodthirsty demon warriors as well as several human, dwarven and elven traitors who are led by Duke Malphas d'Xuvadon in the Duchy of Northern Yamato. The horde had no fixed capital as its forces were constantly on the move. They moved north to Libaterra in 1017 AE and participated in the Battle of Vanna during which they took over Vanna and Tronin Desert. Vanna is currently acting as the horde's base of operations while they prepare their forces to move north to the fertile Heartlands. The horde also has a sizable following among the remnants of the Clergy of Mardük and Chaos Dwarves. Eastern Horde :Leader: Duchess Vaetris L'andariel, the Deceiver :Dreadlord/lady: n/a The Eastern Horde consists of primarily female demons and their willful male slaves who are led by Duchess Vaetris L'andariel in the Duchy of Eastern Yamato. They focus on quick and agile combat and use deception and their intoxicating pheromones as their weapons. The horde's capital is Shippuu. Western Horde :Leader: Duke Pazuzu, the Diviner :Dreadlady: Countess Naamah The Western Horde consists of various demons, ranging from warriors to mages and merchants as well as various Yamatian traitors who are led by Duke Pazuzu in the Duchy of Western Yamato. The horde's capital is Oreinashi. It is among the wealthiest hordes in Yamato as many of its demons prefer to live in luxury and use slaves to build extravagant palaces. Southern Horde :Leader: Duchess Nina Heeate L'andariel, the Defiler :Dreadlord/lady: n/a The Southern Horde consists of various demon mages who are led by Duchess Nina Heeate L'andariel in the Duchy of Southern Yamato. The horde's capital is Hyama. Since 1017 AE, it has come under the influence of the Eastern Horde after Vaetris's sister Nina from the East took over. Non-Demon Territories The following territories aren't under demon rule, and they operate independently from one another: Kitsune Mori :Leader: Unknown Kitsune Mori, located in the forest south of Shippuu, is populated by Kitsune, mysterious fox demons, who rarely venture outside their labyrinthine home. Little is known of this race and the mysterious forest they dwell in other than that they're no allies of current demon overlords of Yamato. Despite wielding demonic magic, they don't seem to be directly related to any of the demon breeds as far as academics are concerned. Thus their leadership and numbers remain unknown even to this day. Pirates' Cove :Faction: Blue Dragon :Leader: Pirate King Kuro Tori The Blue Dragon pirates, led by Pirate King Kuro Tori, live in the Pirates' Cove which is presently located betwixt Oreinashi and Kageshima after the continental shifts of the Cataclysm also ended up moving the Cove's location northward. The pirates mainly oppose the Western Horde...not out of altruism but because the horde's navy hinders their pirating business. The Cove is in a secret location in a calvera, which makes it hard even for demons to find and which is why it has remained safe from invasion so far. It is a home for thieves and cutthroats and has many treacherous reefs which have sunk many inexperienced and even experienced sailors over the years. Vulpengaard Keep :Factions: Akai Tora and Forgotten :Leader: Shogun Hiroshi Takamoto and High Cleric Alathor Vulpengaard Keep, located in Southern Yamato betwixt Hyama and New Molson, was once the headquarters of the Clergy of Mardük but fell to demon hands after the Cataclysm. The Akai Tora and the Forgotten took over the keep after the Second Battle of Vulpengaard Keep and now use it as their base of operations against the demon hordes. The Akai Tora, led by Shogun Hiroshi Takamoto, consists of former Yamatian imperialists and other guerrilla forces of the region who wish to liberate Yamato from demons and perhaps even restore Yamato to its former imperial glory. The Forgotten, led by High Cleric Alathor, are a splinter group from the Clergy of Mardük who have remained true to the god Mardük's original teachings and believe that the current Clergy of Mardük has lots its way. The Akai Tora and the Forgotten have joined forces because they believe they can benefit from each other and because they share the same goal: liberate Yamato from demons. Others Other demon-opposing factions also appear in Yamato albeit in no fixed location. The most notable ones are the Black Hunters, an organization based in New Molson in Aison who regularly venture into Southern Yamato to save non-demon prisoners and slaughter demon patrols. The Black Hunters are led by Commander Yousei Kaizoku. Relations Yamato grew increasingly hostile over the years until the Yamatian Invasion when the Empire invaded the other kingdoms Aison, Libaterra, Maar Sul, Scundia and Remon. This eventually led to the Great War which ended up ravaging Yamato. The demons' invasion of the empire's land and the enslavement of the populace further changed the balance of power. After the Cataclysm, things have remained the same for the most part. Yamato is now seen as an even more dangerous place than before thanks to its new demon overlords. Demons are interested in conquering the other kingdoms, and the Northern Horde has made the first move by invading Southern Libaterra in 1017 AE. Notable Yamatians Original *Clan Hyuga *Clan Ofuchi *Distreyd Thanadar *Haruko Mizushima *Hiroshi Takamoto *Izuru Takene *Katsutoshi Kobayashi *Keiko Watanabe *Kuro Tori *Nobuo Iwasaki *Samachi Nomura *Seishuu Kazejin *Tarna *Yasunori Amano *Yousei Kaizoku Demons *Brak *E'soon G'nipparw *Hepnaz L'invrad *Jezebeth *Leraje Thanadar *Malphas d'Xuvadon *Naamah *Nhrakate d'Zarnagon *Nina Heeate L'andariel *Pazuzu *Ronove Thanadar *Seven Sisters *Vaetris L'andariel *Vassago See also *Demon *Gate of Darkness *Kageshima *Ryuugumi *Unification of Yamato *Vulpengaard Keep *World Map (Godslayer Era) *Yamatian Invasion *Yamato Map (Distreyd Era) Category:Nations Category:Third Age Category:Yamato Category:Yamato Empire